Hit recognition electronic target shooting system and recognition method thereof

ABSTRACT

A hit recognition electronic target shooting system and a recognition method thereof are revealed. The system includes an electronic target and at least two practice guns. The electronic target is activated and at least two users hold the practice guns and pull triggers to shoot the electronic target simultaneously. After detecting a light beam from the light beam source of the practice gun that hit the electronic target first, a light sensor delays for a period of time to receive light signal. Simultaneously a sensing signal is transmitted to a control unit. Thus the control unit recognizes the practice gun that hit the electronic target first. Thereby many users respectively hold a practice gun to shoot the same electronic target simultaneously and which practice gun first hits the electronic target can be recognized. A better shooting practice, training competition or entertainment is achieved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hit recognition electronic target shooting system and a recognition method thereof, especially to a hit recognition electronic target shooting system and a recognition method thereof that allow a plurality of users using a practice gun to shoot an electronic target respectively at the same time and the practice gun first hit the electronic target is recognized by the electronic target. Thus a better shooting practice, training competition or entertainment can be achieved. The system is more practical and useful.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally guns have been used for hunting, sports competition, or other special purposes such as law enforcement, military operation, etc. In order to simulate specific conditions or provide specific training, special equipment and venues are required. The related art has attempted to overcome the above-mentioned problems by utilizing laser or light energy with firearms to simulate firearm operation and indicate simulated projectile impact locations on targets.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,081 (Berke) discloses a marksman training system including a translucent diffuser target screen adapted for producing a bright spot on the rear surface of the target screen in response to receiving a laser light beam from a laser rifle on the target screen front surface. A television camera scans the rear side of the target screen and provides a composite signal representing the position of the light spot on the target screen rear surface. The composite signal is decomposed into X and Y Cartesian component signals and a video signal by a conventional television signal processor. The X and Y signals are processed and converted to a pair of proportional analog voltage signals. A target recorder reads out the pair of analog voltage signals as a point, the location of which is comparable to the location on the target screen that was hit by the laser beam.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,775 (Kendir, et al.) discloses a firearm laser training system of the present invention includes a target having a plurality of zones, a laser transmitter assembly for projecting a laser beam, a sensing device and a processor. The sensing device scans the target to produce target images to detect laser beam or simulated projectile impact locations. The processor receives impact location information from the sensing device and processes the received information to evaluate user performance and to display evaluation information and an image of the target including indicia corresponding to the detected impact locations.

However, the shooting systems mentioned above all require a target corresponding to each gun so as to learn score of the respective gun quickly and clearly. Thus the system has low variability. Once there are many users that shoot the same target for competitions or training purposes, it's difficult to recognize who is the fastest shooter or which gun first hit the target during the shooting process. Thus there is room for improvement and a need to provide a novel design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a hit recognition electronic target shooting system and a recognition method thereof that allow a plurality of users to shoot an electronic target by using a practice gun respectively at the same time and recognize which practice gun first hit the electronic target by the electronic target. Thus a better shooting practice, training, competition or entertainment is achieved and the system is more practical.

In order to achieve the above objects, a hit recognition electronic target shooting system of the present invention mainly includes an electronic target and at least two practice guns.

The electric target mainly consists of a box, a diffusion plate on a front surface of the box, a light sensor mounted in the box and corresponding to the diffusion plate, and a control unit connected to both the light sensor and indicating lights. The control unit controls on/off state of the indicating lights. According to the color of a light beam source of the practice gun that first hit the electronic target, the indicating light emits light with corresponding color.

The practice gun includes a trigger connected to an activation unit while the activation unit is connected to a light beam source. The light beam source of each practice gun has different light frequency, different power, different wavelength, or different periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal. While the trigger being pulled, the light beam source is turned on by the activation unit so that the light beam source emits a pulsed light beam and the pulsed light beam is received by the light sensor.

The control unit is further connected to an audio unit. The audio unit can be a buzzer whose on/off state is controlled by the control unit.

The control unit is further connected to a memory unit that is used for recording the sensing state of the light sensor.

A recognition method of a hit recognition electronic target shooting system includes following steps. The hit recognition electronic target shooting system includes an electronic target and at least two practice guns. Turn on the electronic target first and light sensor of the electronic target starts detection of light. At least two users respectively hold the practice gun and pull the trigger of the practice gun at the same time to shoot the electronic target. Thus the light beam source of the practice gun is activated by the trigger through an activation unit so as to emit a light beam toward the electronic target. After the first light beam from the light beam source of the practice gun hit the diffusion plate of the electronic target, the light beam is diffused by the diffusion plate to be received by the light sensor. After the light sensor detecting the light beam diffused by the diffusion plate, there is a delay to sense the light and the light sensor stops receiving light signal during the delay period. At the same time, the sensing signal is transmitted to the control unit for recognition of the light beam source of the practice gun that first hit the electronic target. Thus the indicating light is controlled by the control unit to emit light. Each indicating light is corresponding one of the practice guns and having a color different from others. According to the practice gun that hit the electronic target the indicating light emits light with the corresponding color.

The light beam source of the practice gun has different light frequency, different power, different wavelength, or different periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal.

After recognizing the light beam source of the practice gun that first hit the electronic target, the control unit controls the audio unit to play sounds.

After the control unit recognizing the light beam source of the practice gun that first hit the electronic target, the information detected by the light sensor and related to the practice gun that hit the electronic target is recorded in the memory unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing structure of an embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing a flow chart of an embodiment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the present invention mainly includes an electric target 1 and at least two practice guns 2.

The electric target 1 mainly consists of a box 11, a diffusion plate 12, a light sensor 13, a control unit 14, a plurality of indicating lights 15, an audio unit 16 and a memory unit 17. The diffusion plate 12 disposed on a front surface of the box 11. The light sensor 13 is arranged in the box 11, corresponding to the diffusion plate 12 and connected to the control unit 14 while the control unit 14 is connected to the indicating lights 15, the audio unit 16 and the memory unit 17. The indicating lights 15 emit light with different colors respectively and each color is corresponding to the color of a light beam source 23 of each practice gun 2. The indicating light 15 is light emitting diode (LED). The on/off state of the LED is controlled by the control unit 14. The audio unit 16 can be a buzzer controlled by the control unit 14. As to the memory unit 17, it is used for recording sensing state of the light sensor 13.

The practice gun 2 includes a trigger 21 connected to an activation unit 22 and a light beam source 23 connected to the activation unit 22. The light beam source 23 can be a laser. The light beam source 23 of each practice gun 2 can have different light frequency, different power, or different wavelength. Or the light beam source 23 has different periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal. Thus the light beam source 23 is activated by the activation unit 22 to emit a pulsed light beam while the trigger 21 being pulled.

Refer to FIG. 3, a flow chart showing steps of the method according to the present invention is revealed. After an electronic target being activated, a light sensor 13 of the electronic target 1 starts sensing while at least two practice guns 2 shooting the same electronic target 1. At least two users respectively hold different practice gun 2 to shoot the electronic target 1 at the same time. The light beam source 23 of each of the practice guns 2 has different light frequency, power, wavelength or periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal. After the user pulling the trigger 21 of the practice gun 2, the trigger 21 of the practice gun 2 activates the light beam source 23 through the activation unit 22. Thus the light beam source 23 emits a pulsed light beam to the electronic target 1. After the light beam from the light beam source 23 of the first practice gun 2 hitting the diffusion plate 12 of the electronic target 1, the light from the light beam source 23 of the practice gun 2 is diffused by the diffusion plate 12 so as to make the light sensor 13 detect the light easily. After detecting and receiving the light from the diffusion plate 12, there is a period of delay for the light sensor 13 to response and the light sensor 13 stops receiving light signal during the period. At the same time, a sensing signal is transmitted to the control unit 14. Then the control unit 14 recognizes the light beam source 23 of the practice gun 2 that hit the electronic target 1 first and controls the corresponding indicating light 15 to emit light. Thus users can learn the light beam from the light beam source 23 of which practice gun 2 already hit the electronic target 1. Each indicating light 15 has different colors of light and corresponds to different practice gun 2. The control unit 14 can also control the audio unit 16 to play sounds for informing users that the electronic target 1 has been hit by the light beam from the light beam source 23 of the practice gun 2. The information detected by the light sensor 13 and related to the practice gun 2 that hit the electronic target 1 such as scores is recorded by the memory unit 17 through the control unit 14. Thus users can check the scores and others conveniently. Moreover, each of several users can use a practice gun 2 to shoot the same electronic target 1 for shooting practice and competition.

Furthermore, besides the light beam source 23 with different light frequency, the light beam source 23 of the practice gun 2 can also have different power for being recognized by the control unit 14. The light beam source 23 of the practice gun 2 can have different wavelength or different periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal by which the control unit 14 recognizes.

In summary, compared with the structure available now, the present invention allows each of a plurality of users using a practice gun to shoot one electronic target. Which practice gun has shot(fired) and first hit the electronic gun is recognized by the electronic target so as to achieve better effects of training, practice, competition and entertainment. And the system has higher practical value while in use.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hit recognition electronic target shooting system comprising an electronic target and at least two practice guns; wherein the electric target includes a box, a diffusion plate disposed on a front surface of the box, a light sensor mounted in the box and corresponding to the diffusion plate, and a control unit connected to the light sensor and indicating lights; the control unit controls on/off state of the indicating lights that emits light with colors correspondingly according to the color of a light beam source of the practice gun that first hit the electronic target; the practice gun includes a trigger connected to an activation unit and the light beam source connected to the activation unit; the light beam source of each of the practice guns has different light frequency, power, wavelength or periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal; the light beam source is activated by the activation unit while pulling the trigger and then the light beam source emits a pulsed light beam and the pulsed light beam is received by the light sensor.
 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is connected to an audio unit; the audio unit is a buzzer and is controlled by the control unit to play sounds or not.
 3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is connected to a memory unit that is used for recording sensing state of the light sensor.
 4. A recognition method of a hit recognition electronic target shooting system having an electronic target and at least two practice guns comprising the steps of: turning on the electronic target first and a light sensor of the electronic target starting sensing light; holding the practice gun and pulling a trigger of the practice gun at the same time to shoot the electronic target by at least two users respectively; activating a light beam source of the practice gun by the trigger of the practice gun through an activation unit so that the light beam source emits a light beam to the electronic target; diffusing the light beam from the light beam source by a diffusion plate of the electronic target to be sensed by a light sensor after the first practice gun hitting the electronic target; sensing the light beam from the light beam source, stopping receiving light signals for a period, and transmitting sensing signals to a control unit by the light sensor; recognizing the light beam source of the first practice gun hit the electronic target by the control unit for control of indicating lights to emit light; and emitting light with color corresponding to the practice gun hit the electronic target by the indicating light while each of the indicating lights emits light with different colors corresponding to respective practice gun.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light beam source of the practice gun has different light frequency, different power, different wavelength, or different periodic modulation/coding with a kind of carrier signal.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein after the step of recognizing the light beam source of the practice gun first hit the electronic target by the control unit, an audio unit is controlled by the control unit to play sounds.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein after the step of recognizing the light beam source of the practice gun first hit the electronic target by the control unit, a memory unit records information sensed by the light sensor and related to the practice gun hitting the electronic target. 